Psalms 16:6
I have cried to thee, for thou, O God, hast heard me: O incline thy ear unto me, and hear my words.
Open Psalms 16:6 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Ego clamavi, quoniam exaudisti me, Deus ; inclina aurem tuam mihi, et exaudi verba mea.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ἐγὼ ἐκέκραξα, ὅτι ἐπήκουσάς μου, ὁ θεός· κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου ἐμοὶ καὶ εἰσάκουσον τῶν ῥημάτων μου.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 17:6
- אֲנִֽי קְרָאתִ֣יךָ כִֽי תַעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל הַֽט אָזְנְךָ֥ לִ֝֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי
Haydock's commentary
Heard me, of former occasions. This encourages me to pray with more confidence (Berthier) and fervour. Bona vota quoties effectum percipiunt, multiplicantur. (St. Gregory, Mor. xxxv. 3.)
Hebrew also, "thou wilt hear me favourably." (St. Jerome) (Haydock)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine City of God, An Explanation of What is Said of the Devil, that He Did Not Abide in the Truth, Because the Truth Was Not in Him
Moreover, as if we had been inquiring why the devil did not abide in the truth, our Lord subjoins the reason, saying, “because the truth is not in him.” Now, it would be in him had he abode in it. But the phraseology is unusual. For, as the words stand, “He abode not in the truth, because the truth is not in him,” it seems as if the truth’s not being in him were the cause of his not abiding in it; whereas his not abiding in the truth is rather the cause of its not being in him. The same form of speech is found in the psalm: “I have called upon Thee, for Thou hast heard me, O God,” where we should expect it to be said, Thou hast heard me, O God, for I have called upon Thee. …
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm XVII
6. “I have cried out, for Thou hast heard Me, O God” ( ver. 6 ). With a free and strong effort have I directed My prayers unto Thee: for that I might have this power, Thou hast heard Me when praying more weakly. “Incline Thine ear to Me, and hear My words.” Let not Thy hearing forsake My humiliation.